Dust-proof valve mechanism



March 15, 1955 K. w. COUCH 2,704,159

DUST-PROOF VALVE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 jNVENTOR;

KARL W. CoucH ATTX March 15, 1955 w, COUCH 2,704,159

DUST-PROOF VALVE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 8, 1952' 4 Sheets-SheetZ JNVENTOR;

KARL W. COUCH, BY

ATT'V.

March 15, 1955 K. w. COUCH DUST-PROOF VALVE MECHANISM Filed 001. 8, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR; KARL W. COUCH,-

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March 15, 1955 K. w. coucH DUST-PROOF VALVE MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 8, 1952 H OF.

INVENTOR,

H W M c. w e A Km United States Patent .0

DUST-PROOF VALVE MECHANISM Karl W. Couch, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application October 8, 1952, Serial No. 313,743

1 Claim. (Cl. 214-17) This invention relates to a dust-proof valve mechanism for controlling the discharge of granular material, such as coal and the like, from a bunker into a receptacle, chute or weigh larry adapted to be placed below" the valve mechanism.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved dust-proof valve mechanism of the above mentioned type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved valve mechanism of the above mentioned type wherein the material -fiow controlling valve is enclosed within a hood or jacket which is sealingly connected with the receptacle, chute or weigh larry by a movable sleeve including an improved apparatus for placing the said sleeve upon said receptacle, chute or Weigh larry and for elevating and supporting it when said valve is closed.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing the general association of a weight larry, a fragment of a coal storage bunker above the weigh larry and a dust-proof valve including the features of the invention for controlling and delivering coal from the bunker into the weigh larry;

Fig. 2 is a view looking at the left side of the apparatus seen in Fig. l with certain parts omitted and others shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a view in section, the section being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view in section, the section being taken on line 44 of Fig. 3 with certain elements omitted and others broken away.

A dust-proof valve mechanism that includes the features of this invention is shown in the drawings associated with a coal storage bunker 11 which is supported upon the super structure of a building or upon its own frame which includes I-beams 12 and 13. It is common practice to employ such a large storage bunker in a boiler house and to store coal in the bunker. It is also common practice to employ a weigh larry, such as the weigh larry 14 which is mounted upon spaced rails 15 so that it can travel along the rails to various positions to discharge its load and to be placed, adjusted or positioned below other valves, not shown, such as the valve 10 carried by the bunker 11 at spaced positions along its bottom to the end that coal may be removed from the bunker through any one of the dust-proof valves 10. This arrangement is provided so that coal may be received from the bunker 11 and be delivered by the weigh larry to any one of a plurality of stoker hoppers 16 of a plurality of boilers, not shown.

The use of a weigh larry is desirable to the end that the amount of coal delivered to each of the stoker hoppers may be weighed, but it is obvious that in certain installations instead of a complete weigh larry only a receivin g chute or receptacle may be employed.

When coal is fed from a bunker through a control valve and no seal is eifected between the valve or bunker and the receptacle of the weigh larry there is frequently considerable dust placed in the atmosphere of the boiler room which is highly undesirable because it creates a fire hazard as well as effecting the cleanliness of the boiler room. A principal feature of the mechanism of the present invention is to eliminate this dust and to provide a simple, etfioient and effective sealing apparatus adapted to connect temporarily in a dust-proof manner, the control valve 2,704,159 C Patented Mar. 15, 1955 of the bunker with the receptacle or chute of the weigh larry when the latter is positioned below the valve and the valve is open.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the rails 15 along which the weigh larry 14 travels are each mounted to the top of an I-beam 18 that extends between and is carried by a plurality of brackets 19 that depends from the I-beams 12 and are positioned at spaced intervals below and throughout the length of the bunker 11. The weigh larry 14 includes a frame 20 which is carried at its top by two transversely extending axles 21 and 22 each provided with flanged wheels 23 that ride the rails 15 and support the weigh larry 14. Axle 22 is driven to propel the weigh larry along the rails 15 by a motor and speed reducing gear mechanism 24 that drives, through a chain 25, a large sprocket 26 on a jackshaft 27 upon which there is a pinion 28 that meshes with and drives a large gear 29 carried by the axle 22. Jack shaft 27 also carries a pocket type sprocket 30 over which there is looped an endless chain 31 that hangs downwardly so that its lower portion is available to an operator standing on the operators platform 32 of the weigh larry 14. If necessary, the operator may rotate the jack shaft 27 to propel or spot the weigh larry 14 at any position along the rails 15 by means of the chain 31.

The weigh larry 14 includes a receptacle, hopper or chute 33 provided with a spout 34, the bottom end of which is closed by a manually operated pivoted gate 35 that may be positioned over any one of a number of the stocker fed hoppers 16 so that coal in the hopper or chute 33 may be fed into the stoker hopper 16.

The hopper or chute 33 of the Iweigh larry 14 is carried between the side members of the weigh larry frame 20 through a conventional scale mechanism including the usual beams, cross-members and a weight indicator 36 positioned at the operators platform 32.

As best seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings the receptacle, hopper or chute 33 of the weigh larry 14 is provided with a top or cover 37 that forms a top opening 38 having a flat peripheral surface in the hopper or chute 33 adapted to cooperate with the valve 10 and through which coal may be fed into the hopper or chute 33 from the bunker 11. Valve 10 is associated with the bottom of a rectangular chute or tube 39 that is attached'at its top to the bottom of the bunker 11 and hange downwardly between a pair of the I-beams 13. A plate 40 of the valve 10 extends between and is attached to the bottoms of these spaced I-beams 13 and the bottom of the chute or tube 39 is attached about the periphery of an opening in plate 40 by a flange 41. Plate 40 may be considered the main supporting member for the valve assembly 10 and it in fact forms a part of the valve assembly 10.

Valve assembly 10 includes a rectangular material feed chute 42 provided with a top peripheral flange 43 that corresponds in shape with the flange 41 of the chute 39. Flange 43 is aligned with the flange 41 and both flanges are secured to the plate 40 by bolts 44. The bottom of chute 42 is closed by a gate 45 having an arcuate bottom member and spaced side members 46 each of which extend vertically upwardly along one of the opposite sides of chute 42. A rectangular hood, jacket or dust guard 47 surrounds the chute 42 and gate 45, that form the material flow controlling apparatus of the valve assembly 10, and this hood includes a part of the plate 40 and a rectangular tubular element 48 that is attached to the plate 40 through angle members 49 welded to the side walls of the tubular element 48 and bolted to the bottom of plate 40.

It will be seen that the open bottomed hood 47 includes side walls that are spaced from the side walls of the chute 42 and that its top is closed and connected to the chute 42 by the plate 40 so that any dust contained within the hood 47 cannot escape therefrom into the atmosphere. While I prefer that the tubular element 48 of the hood 47 be connected directly to the chute 42 through a means such as the plate 40, it will be obvious that the bottom of the bunker 11 could substitute in the assembly for the plate 40.

The side members 46 of gate 45 extend into the spaces between the walls of the chute 42 and hood 47 and are pivotally mounted by a pair of axially aligned shafts or trunnions 50 and 51 that extend through opposite side Walls of the hood 47, the side members 46 of gate 45 and are mounted for rotation to opposite side walls of the chute 42 through bearing collars 52. The shafts 50,

and 51 are rigidly attached to the side members 46 of gate 45 by collars 53 and pins that extend through these collars and the shafts. Suitable bearing collar and dust seals 54 support the shafts 50 and 51 where they pass through side walls of hood 47. It will be seen that the gate 45 and shafts 50 and 51 will rotate together whenever the shaft 51, which is the valve operating shaft, is rotated.

The tubular element 48 of hood 47 is surrounded by a movable tubular sleeve or collar 55 that is sealed about its upper end to the element 48 by a wiper element 56 made of any suitable material such as rubber. The bottom of the sleeve 55 is provided with a peripheral outwardly extending flange 57 adapted to be rested upon a gasket 57' secured upon the top of the hopper cover 37 and surrounding the feed opening 38 therein. Sleeve 55 is raised and lowered along the hood 47 by a pair of hangers 58 spaced one at each of opposite sides thereof and rigidly attached thereto by bolts and brackets 59.

Each of the hangers 58 is constructed to provide an opening 60 through which one of the shafts 50 or 51 extends and each includes a top cross-member 61 that provides a downwardly facing surface 61 adapted to cooperate with a cam means on the shaft 50 or 51 that includes an arm 62 rigidly secured to the shaft 50 or 51 and a roller 63 that extends through the opening 60 and is adapted to engage and carry the downwardly facing surface 61 of the hanger 58 and consequently the sleeve 55 when the valve gate 45 is closing the bottom of the chute 42.

Shaft 51 is rotated to operate the valve assembly by an arm 64 rigidly mounted thereon between supporting brackets 65 attached to the bottom of one of the I-beams 13. Arm 64 is swung by a second arm 66 (see Fig. 4) pivoted between a pair of spaced brackets 67 through an adjustable link 68 that interconnects the arms 64 and 66.

The weigh larry carries a mechanism that engages and swings the arm 66. This mechanism includes a slide plate 69 mounted for sliding movement between spaced guides carried by the weigh larry frame 20. An endless chain 70 that operates over spaced sprockets 71 and 72 is attached to the slide plate 69 and this chain 70 is moved by rotating the shaft 73 that carries sprocket 72 through a pocket type sprocket 74 and an endless chain 75 that extends downwardly therefrom to adjacent the operators platform 32. erly positioned below any valve of the bunker 11 the arm 66 for that valve 10 below which the assembly is positioned or spotted will extend between the tines 76 of a yoke 77 mounted upon the slide plate 69 and when the yoke is moved from the position shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings to the position shown in full lines the arms 66 and 64 are rotated and the valve 10 is opened. When the yoke 77 and arm 66 are again swung to the position indicated in dot-dash lines to close the valve 10 the yoke 77 engages and closes a circuit breaker 78 connected in the electrical circuit for the motor 24 so that the motor 24 may be manually energized to propel the weigh larry along the rails 15.

When the weigh larry is prop- 4 When shaft 51 is rotated to open the valve 10 it begins simultaneously to rotate or swing the gate 45 from below the chute 42 and to rotate the cam mechanisms including the arms 62 and rollers 63 on both shafts and 51 to cause them to lower the sleeve so that it rests upon the gasket 57 secured about the opening 38 in the top of the cover 37 of the chute 33. As the gate 45 is swung toward full open position and after the sleeve is rested upon the cover 37 the roller 63 separates from the downwardly facing surface 61 provided by the sleeve hangers 58 so that all of the weight of the sleeve is borne by the cover 37.

It will thus be seen that the sleeve cooperates with the hood 47 to effect a dust-proof seal between the chute 42 and the weigh larry hopper or chute 33 whenever the valve 10 is opened and that it will be lifted from the top 37 of the hopper or chute 33 whenever the valve 10 is closed so that the weigh larry may be propelled or trammed along the rails and spotted either to load coal into one of the stoker hoppers 16 or under a valve 10 to receive a load of coal.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that I have provided an improved dust-proof valve assembly wherein the movable sealing sleeve is operated through simplified operating mechanism including cam means and that in the improved assembly only one shaft means is employed to rotate the gate and to raise and lower the sealing sleeve.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claim hereto appended and applicant wishes therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

Mechanism for discharging material from a storage bunker for granular material such as coal and the like including a discharge valve adapted to be associated with said bunker and a receiving chute adapted to be placed below said discharge valve to receive material from said bunker under the control of said valve, said valve including a chute, pivoted gate means for closing said chute, hood means enclosing said discharge valve, two axially aligned shaft means extending through said hood each attached to and pivotally mounting one side of said gate means, a sleeve means below said pair of shafts movable along said hood means adapted to be rested freely upon said receiving chute to sealingly connect said hood thereto, support means forming a part of and extending upwardly from said sleeve means at each of opposite sides thereof each forming an opening through which one of said shaft means extends and a downwardly facing surface, and cam means carried by each of said shaft means adapted to support said sleeve through said downwardly facing surfaces when said valve is closed.

Forsythe et a1. Nov. 7, 1922 Eades Apr. 6, 1937 

